Seòmar agus comataidhean

Negotiations are taking placeacross Scotland between NHS boards and GPs on the provision and fundingof enhanced services (including services for drug misusers) under the new GeneralMedical Services contract. We are monitoring the position, but we do not believethat it would be appropriate to intervene in local negotiations at this point.

Our understanding is that agreementhas been reached between health authorities and GPs in Glasgow for aone year period, and that a review will be undertaken during that period of howservices for drug misusers will operate beyond then. Transitional arrangements arebeing put in place in Lothian to cater for patients from GP practices which havedecided to opt out of providing services for drug misusers.

The new contract incorporatesa Patient Service Guarantee, which will ensure that patients will receive at leastthe range of services they currently receive, although these may not necessarilybe delivered in the same way. The new contract is being supported by an unprecedented33% increase in investment in primary care services, which will see spending ongeneral medical services rise to £575 million in 2005-06. The Executive has alsoinvested an additional £34 million over the three years 2001-02 to 2003-04 in improvingdrug treatment and rehabilitation services.

I have asked Angiolina Foster, Chief Executive of Communities Scotland to respond. Her response is as follows:

In 2003-04, the planned investment for rural affordable housing by local authority was broken down as follows:

	£ Million
Aberdeenshire	7.622
Angus	2.177
Argyll and Bute	4.138
Dumfries and Galloway	5.215
East Ayrshire	1.339
Fife	3.094
Highland	10.678
Moray	1.639
North Ayrshire	0.025
Orkney	1.746
Perth and Kinross	3.589
Shetland	0.900
South Ayrshire	3.933
South Lanarkshire	3.723
Stirling	2.238
The Scottish Borders	3.266
Western Isles	2.199

Note:

Planned expenditure figures are used in this table as year-end expenditure reconciliation is ongoing. Figures exclude social and environmental grants provided in rural areas.

I have asked Angiolina Foster,Chief Executive of Communities Scotland to respond. Her response is as follows:

The amount of planned investment by Communities Scotland in 2004-05 will be £264 million, with £182 million invested in urban housing, £65 million in rural housing and the remainder not attributed to a single distinct geographical area. In addition, a further £20 million has also been set aside to be available to respond to any immediate requirements emerging from the affordable housing review.

The investment programme for2005-06 will be agreed in late 2004/early 2005.

I have asked Ms Angiolina Foster,Chief Executive of Communities Scotland to respond. Her response is as follows:

The Housing (Scotland) Act1987 establishes statutory requirements in relation to the allocation of housesby Registered Social Landlords. Landlords are required to give reasonable preferencein allocations to the statutory categories of priority need.

There is a range of acceptableapproaches that landlords can take in order to achieve this; a points based systemfor housing applications is one of these. A landlord is free to adopt its preferredsystem as long as it can demonstrate that it is complying with the requirementsof the legislation and the performance standards published jointly by CommunitiesScotland, the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities and the Scottish Federationof Housing Associations.

Through the Land Reform (Scotland) Act2003 the Executive has promoted sustainable development throughout rural Scotland, diversityin land ownership and the involvement of local communities in decisions that affecttheir futures. The proposals in the act were informed by studies of current practicesin relation to land ownership in a number of European member states, and by responsesto consultation from outwith Scotland.

The Executive will continue tomonitor practices in other countries when developing its future land reform policies.It does not routinely collect information on European practice in relation to morespecific and detailed aspects of buying and renting land and property.

The Sensory Impairment ActionPlan, launched in January 2004 recognises the importance of improving training forstaff who provide services for people with a sensory impairment, including thosewho are deaf or hard of hearing, and the Scottish Executive is now taking the work of theAction Plan forward to address issues, including training for social work and otherstaff.

We would expect local authoritiesto abide by the requirements of the Disability Discrimination Act when it comesinto force.

We would expect the focus ona person-centred approach in single shared assessment to improve understanding ofindividual’s needs. Councils will determine their training needs in the light of the Scottish Executive’s guidance on single shared assessment.

Officials are working with patientgroup representatives to ensure that the applications forms are user friendly andfit for purpose. Comprehensive guidance will be provided with the application formand the Skipton Fund will operate a telephone helpline.

We will publish an IntegratedEarly Years Strategy later this year and we will consider any lessons when theyemerge from the Early Support Pilot Programme.

This information is not heldcentrally.

There have been a number of meetingsbetween officials of the four UK administrations since the announcement of the schemein August 2003 concerning fundamental aspects that have a bearing on the applicationforms. Draft application forms prepared by the Macfarlane Trust were discussed ata meeting on 26 March 2004 which was also attended by representatives of HaemophiliaSociety, the Scottish Haemophilia Groups Forum, the Hepatitis C Trust, the MacfarlaneTrust, the Primary Immunodeficiency Association, Capital C, and Haemophilia Wales.A representative from the Haemophilia Society of Northern Ireland was invited butwas unable to attend.